In Rotary, we mark August as Membership and Extension Month. There is a good reason why we remind ourselves of the importance of membership early in every Rotary year: because the job of growing our membership is one that we can never begin too soon. It is also a job that we can never stop working on. In order to keep serving, Rotary always needs to be growing!We have talked for many years about the importance of the family of Rotary. In this Rotary year, I want to make not just the family of Rotary, but our own Rotary families, a priority in our membership. After 37 years of following me in Rotary, my wife, Corinna, finally became a Rotarian last year. We attended the chartering of a new club in Taiwan together, and she said, "It's time for me to become a Rotarian too!" So she joined that club. And soon, so did a lot of other people. Now that club has 102 members, and it's the second-largest club in Taiwan.Inviting our spouses into Rotary isn't just about getting our numbers up. It addresses the reality that Rotary still has far more men as members than it does women, and that is something we need to work on. When we bring more women into Rotary, our clubs become more appealing to prospective female members – and become more productive as well.This year we are going to have something new in Rotary: a membership support team pin. This means that if you invite a new member into Rotary, you get a special pin to wear with your Rotary gearwheel. But we all know that the job of growing membership doesn't end when a new member joins. It ends only when a new member is enjoying being a Rotarian and never wants to leave! And making sure that our clubs are enjoyable places to be is a key part of growing membership.People come into Rotary for all kinds of reasons, but they stay because Rotary is fun to be a part of. So I want to remind all of you to have fun in your clubs and your districts. Rotary is based on the idea that our service is more effective when we serve together with our friends. So let's enjoy our Rotary service, share it with others, and Light Up Rotary together!

I am pleased to present to you the 3 Pillars of Rotary Seminar to be hosted by the Rotary Club of Bandar Sungai Petani this 1st and 2nd February 2013 at Cinta Sayang Resort, Sungai Petani.

For the first time ever, we have the Zone 6B Rotary Foundation Coordinator PDG Muhammad Faiz Kidwai who will be attending the seminar to share his extensive knowledge with you. It will be a great honour to have him with us so please do not miss out and send in your registration forms ASAP.

Kicking things off on Friday, 1 February 2013 will District Public Relations Chairman, PP Dato' Ram Nair and his team comprising IPP Thangaraj and PE Datin Sandra. Also do not miss a special session onRotary Brand Revitalisation by PDG Dr Rajindar Singh.

Leading our The Rotary Foundation team will be our District's first and only Arch C. Klumph Society member, PDG Dato' Jimmy Lim Thaw Chay. Come listen to PDG Dr Rajindar speak on Grant Management under the new Future Vision Plan. This will be the first presentation by PDG Dr Rajindar upon his return from Chicago so you have a chance to be among the first to get the latest information on Grant Management and other updates.

Do not pass up the opportunity to witness the new tag team duo in action, PP Ken Ong and PP Dr Baskaran, who are Membership Development & Retention and Extension Chairs respectively. Also in attendance to speak to you is the man behind our recent successfully organised Selangor Institute, PDG Dr Arasu.

Last but not least, come meet PP Esther Tan who will be busy promoting the District TRF Night!!!

District Governor Mansoor Saat has consented to grace the occasion so come join us, listen to a fantastic group of speakers and Rotarians and enjoy the friendship and fellowship at Cinta Sayang Resort.

The members of the provisional Rotary Club of Langkawi are also attending the seminar, so this is your chance to meet the newest members of our Rotary family.

All for only RM60.00 person which includes a fellowship dinner on Friday, 1 February 2013, and 3 meals on Saturday, 2 February 2013.

For those outstation Rotarians, rooms at Cinta Sayang Resort are only RM169.00 nett on twin sharing basis.

As 1 February 2013 is a public holiday in the Federal Territories, Sungai Petani is the place to be forthose looking for a family holiday. Shopping malls and cinemas are just 5 minutes away and a water theme park, The Carnivall, is right next to Cinta Sayang Resort. For the more adventurous, Haatyai is nearby to the north and Penang to the South.

For those who love sports or the outdoors, Cinta Sayang Resort offers golf, squash, tennis, horse riding and even paintball.